About this city
Also known as: Athens of the West
Iowa City is a globally influential academic powerhouse and highly progressive literary metropolis straddling both banks of the scenic Iowa River in southeastern Iowa. Founded meticulously in 1839 as the historic first capital of the Iowa Territory, it lost its political crown to Des Moines but permanently retained its cultural heart through the creation of the University of Arkansas-rivaled University of Iowa. Designated permanently as North America's first UNESCO City of Literature, it merges a passionate, world-class creative writing culture with advanced medical hospital complexes and an energetic Big Ten collegiate lifestyle.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 2–3 days
Tour the historic gold-domed classrooms at the Old Capitol Museum, walk the historic brick pedestrian mall downtown to find author plaques on the Literary Walk, and attend world-class readings at Prairie Lights Bookstore.
